Like many Xers, I can still recall the first time I saw the video for Nirvana's  "It Smells Like Teen Spirit," and thinking that the video and music captured everything I felt about life at the time. I felt stupid, contagious, and angrily happy.

I have to admit, however, that I didn't "get" grunge music right away. The culture and beats behind it were foreign to me. Growing up in NYC, popular music had more tribal beats like those found in hip-hop, salsa, house, etc. It was only when I traveled to Oregon that I began to understand the culture that shaped and molded my youth and, I believe, is partly responsible for the collaborative, digital consciousness taking rise today.

In the 90's, Northwesterners were well positioned to fill the cultural void or transformation that was taking place in the US. Having come out of a Cold War where we were exposed to Nancy Reagan "Just Say No" campaign, Rocky Balboa definitions of a what constituted a good American and Wall Street definitions of what constituted success, Generation X was looking for something to shatter those imposed societal chains and protocols. Music would be the tool to do that. Within this context, the Northwest had become both a music and societal laboratory that was more shielded from the corporate machine than any other region in the country. This laboratory had given birth to the grunge scene and, through it, Northwestern values began permeating society through Generation X. The following are some of those values.

Philosophy: Love the Weird
Reason: Sons and Daughters of Hippies

The Northwest became a mecca for the hardcore hippies of the 60's and 70's. Individuals that sought out real privacy to disconnect from "programmed" mainstream culture. This group replaced wine with pot, cultivated creative lifestyles, and brought a deep knowledge of classic rock music. They also brought with them an appreciation for the marginal and "fighting the man."  (Not surprisingly, Portland's motto is "Keep Portland Weird.") This openess was channeled in grunge music, allbeit, in a much different way than the Flower Children. In fact, it is even logical to assume that the apathetic nature, which many had branded Gen Xers and grunge music with, might have only been a direct rebellion to the Flower Power generation. While Flower Children had a more pollyana, 'we are the world' attitude, Gen Xers embraced the chaos and darkness they saw as part of life. The 'we are the world' attitude was simply transformed to 'we are all different and fucked up and thats okay.' This is particularly true in the Northwest where Gen Xer grew up next to communes and cults, Big Foot and UFO enthusiats, and the Serial Murderer capital of the US.

Philosophy: Be Green
Reason: More Trees than Humans

The Pacific Northwest is home to the largest temperate rainforest in the world, Redwood forests, and breathtaking coast lines, which were prevelantly showcased in Gen Xer classic childhood movie Goonies. It goes without saying that Pacific Northwest states generally have more trees than people, which has lead to a certain respect and understanding of nature.  Being green is not a "marketing" buzz word, it is simply common sense and has been an intrinsic part of the Northwest culture for quite some time now. In grunge music, this relationship with nature might have been expressed passively, but it definitely permeated the entire music scene, whether it was through the fashion, interviews, preferred methods of entertainment, etc.

Philosophy: Collaborate
Reason: Pioneering History and Rugged Culture

Anyone that is a true outdoors person and has done "real" camping, can tell you how important it is to work as a team. This becomes more true the more rugged the terrain becomes, and collaborating becomes intrinsic for survival. Most Northwesterners are natural outdoors people - families and friends regularly hike together, camp together, go biking, etc. This love of the great outdoors, however, is not just because of their direct relation with their surrounding, but is also fueled by their connection to their pioneering past. Not knowning how to a light a fire might be the equivalent of now knowing how to quickly purchase a metro card in NYC. As a result, it is this constant exchange with nature that makes Northwesterners prone to collaboration. Add the spiritual element that you find in the Northwest, and a collaborative community becomes the ideal to strive.

Philosophy: Cultivate Innovation (and Legalize Pot)
Reason: Pot is Next to Legal

I believe that the first wave of techie peeps that moved to the Northwest came because of the laxness the area has towards pot.  This is not based on hard data but, IMHO, great programmers are usually major potheads mainly becuase it helps their brain slow down. However, I think that most were also attracted to the uniquely "innovative" and creative spirit of the area. Everything seems possible in the Northwest. Maybe it has to do with their pioneering past, the hippie mantra of follow your heart, or the boredom that the weather provides which leads to creative outbursts. Whatever it may be, the 90's attracted the tech crowd which, by nature, was attracted to innovation, logic and progress - ideals which are dramatically reflected in our current culture.

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